Intimidation tactic is despicable
www.republican-eagle.com 2 February 2011
Citizens have relentlessly exercised their right and obligation to public participation in the discussion of Industrial Wind in Goodhue County for over two years.
AWA Goodhue LLC brought the full force of state regulation. AWA’s out-of-state billionaires bought high priced and politically connected attorneys and lobbyists who wrote the laws. Against all odds, citizen’s prevailed.
In a last ditch effort to suck more of your rate and tax money, AWA’s attorneys are turning to intimidation.
On Jan. 10, AWA served notice on local citizen groups Coalition for Sensible Siting and Goodhue Wind Truth. AWA requested a list of each participant, home address and all parcels in Goodhue County in the project area and buffer area owned or rented, either directly or through a trust or business entity of the anti-wind-farm groups’ members.
This is a crude effort to bully, harass, intimidate and frighten the public.
AWA Goodhue is about to file testimony before administrative law Judge Sheehy who is hearing the contested case as to whether the Public Utilities Commission has “good cause” not to apply the protective standards of the Goodhue County ordinance.
On Oct. 4, the Goodhue County Board passed an updated ordinance, which includes requirements for pre- and post-stray voltage testing for WECS (Section 6) and for a 10-rotor diameter setback from non-participating residences. Dec. 30, AWA asked Sheehy not to consider these simple safety measures.
On Nov. 10, Jay Caw at General Electric technical division said sending voltage from the GE 1.5 turbines to ground was part of standard operations. He could not or would not say where the stray voltage goes.
It is ironic that the same week that AWA tried to bully citizens and ignore the issue of stray voltage the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that two Wabasha County farmers can seek $4 million in damages from Xcel Energy for damages to their dairy herd through stray voltage.
If you wish to learn, see the Coalition for Sensible Siting: http://www.coalitionforsensiblesiting.com/Safety.html
Bob Rosenquist
Zumbrota
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/02/02/intimidation-tactic-is-despicable/